I just learned of a new (new to me, anyway) app called "Snapchat." It lets you send a picture or a video to a friend, which automatically deletes itself after a short time (up to 10 seconds). They claim it is for sending silly, fun shots, but obviously it is really intended for sending potentially incriminating pics and vids that you wouldn't want falling into the wrong hands.

There have got to be some great story ideas based on use/misuse of this app! Anybody have any in mind?

One of the initial big selling points of this app was that it was supposed to be "totally secure", meaning that the images/videos were permanently deleted once the viewer had seen them. Not so long ago, this was found to no longer be the case, and there was some anger directed at the company.

Another thing is that while most smart phones and tablets have an easy way of taking a screenshot, Snapchat makes you use two hands to open the sent image, making it harder to take a screenshot. Also, if you do manage to take a screenshot, Snapchat will tell the sending party that you did so. Presumably this would discourage the sender from sending any more pictures worthy of a screenshot.

Whew... That was more than I intended to write, but moving right along... A story angle? I didn't have one before reading this, but that was before I thought of Alfred and his fraternity.

Alfred is the local geek in his college frat, and his girlfriend since high school loves to come visit him at school on the weekends. The problem is that she's not so much interested in spending time with him than she is in flirting with his frat brothers. Several of Alfred's "buddies" are rich jocks, but they are only halfway smart. The GF starts flirting over Snapchat because it's supposed to be safe, and Alfred catches a peek over their shoulders a few times to see his naked girlfriend on the screen.
He gets upset and suspicious, so being the geek that he is, he hacks into the wi-fi network in the building. Now all of the internet browsing, texting, Snapchatting, etc, is now mirrored onto a computer in his dorm room. He finds that not only is his GF sending nudes of herself to six of his frat brothers, but that several of these brothers are also seeing a few other girls on the side, one is dealing drugs, and one is paying a hacker to change his grades.

Now it's blackmail time...

First, the GF gets to make it up to Alfred before he dumps her. Next, he gets free weed for the sex binges with his GF and the friends she brings over. A few guys share their FWB with Alfred in exchange for his silence.

He gets upset and suspicious, so being the geek that he is, he hacks into the wi-fi network in the building. Now all of the internet browsing, texting, Snapchatting, etc, is now mirrored onto a computer in his dorm room. Now it's blackmail time [...] How far should this go?

Take it all the way, of course.

A full-capture of all the net activity in his building will have quite a fat footprint. He obviously needs to sequester some space on the campus servers. In the process, he discovers much other fun activity going on around campus. Teachers and students and civilians all having sex in various combos and fetishes. Very rich blackmail material, yes? Our nerd buddy will have a busy year, as will the author who churns out an endless series from this bunny.

I like this theme.. But maybe with incestous chats between brother and sister. Maybe one of them accidentally send a snap to the other one that was meant for someone else... And then things gets interesting from there.

I like this theme.. But maybe with incestous chats between brother and sister. Maybe one of them accidentally send a snap to the other one that was meant for someone else... And then things gets interesting from there.

Maybe the snap was accidentally sent to a third sibling (one that neither of them were attracted to) who then uses it to blackmail them both......